The Curse of Ravenclaw Tower

Chapter 4

Ron wandered aimlessly through the castle, pondering what he had just heard, when he bumped into Ginny. She promptly told him (rather impolitely he thought) to "stop pissing about and get some work done or Hermione will have you." Ron wasn't exactly sure about what Ginny meant by Hermione 'having him' but he decided that it sounded rather unpleasant and painful and therefore swiftly came to the conclusion that helping Ginny to question the portraits on the upper floors and any passing ghosts was probably the best course of action relating to his immediate health and wellbeing. Conveniently, he also had his Prefect duties to perform, which would afford him the prefect excuse for walking the corridors and, more importantly, hanging about the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room.

He slowly made his way along the corridors asking the portraits if they seen or heard anything suspicious lately. The only suspicious things that they had seen have very little bearing on this particular story but Ron was amazed by the thriving Underworld (supplying all sorts of magical items, ingredients, gossip, blackmail and possible Vampirism) that had seemingly established itself within Hogwarts and he wondered just exactly how much Fred and George had had to do with it. Ron had expected this to take a good deal longer than it did, but due to the nomadic nature of the inhabitants of the portraits he only needed to talk to the portraits at the beginning of each corridor and then as he passed down it, he got several reports on who-was-doing-what and frighteningly who-was-doing-what-to-whom and terrifyingly who-was-doing-what-to-whom-with-which-inanimate-object.

After what seemed an eternity hearing about moral filth and fornication, Ron reached the corridor where the entrance to Ravenclaw common room was, at some point, situated. He leant against the wall feeling both extremely dirty and far older than he was three hours ago. Unluckily for Ron, it never occurred to him that the portraits were, in fact, having him on and with vividly descriptive acts of depravity involving the staff and the students (and more often than not both) echoing savagely through his brain, he failed to hear the laughter coming from the other portraits.

He tried to get a grip on himself (figuratively speaking) and pull the remains of his wits together but unfortunately it was proving to be useless. He needed to regroup, especially if regrouping involved a butterbeer and a truly gigantic chocolate éclair. He swiftly stole down to the kitchens and after tickling the proper pear, he asked the assembled house-elves for some éclairs and whilst they were busy, he raided Winky's 'secret' stash of butterbeer. He didn't feel too bad about it as he had seen Dumbledore do the very same thing one evening last month. Additionally, he reasoned, if you thought about it, he was actually doing Winky a favour by taking the butterbeer (i.e. stealing the only thing that made her life bearable).

Five éclairs, two butterbeers and a long soak in the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor (password now 'Lemon Zest') later, and Ron was almost feeling up to resuming his search for Terry and Eddie. Firstly, however, Ron felt he ought to check on Harry. This was something he wasn't looking forward too so he decided to dawdle about a bit on his way there.

Ron spent his time in transit to the Gryffindor common room wondering about the sudden lack of morality and ethical fibre within Hogwarts whilst wandering about the corridors, half-heartedly punishing Slytherins and talking to ghosts along the way. He was stubbornly ignoring the portraits, who seemed to think there was something funny, as no matter where Ron when they were all chortling behind their hands and pointing at him.

Upon reaching Gryffindor tower Ron was unsurprised to see Harry in his now habitual, brooding position by the fire. The reason he was unsurprised was that after being stunned, Harry was usually quite subdued.

Ron looked round and saw Lee Jordan beckoning him over. Ron obliged.

"Oh! This is exciting! He's been at it for eight hours straight! With no toilet breaks! It looks as if he's going to break his previous record! What do you say Ron? A galleon on him breaking his record? Or would you prefer to put a couple of sickles on how long he lasts?"

"Lee," enquired Ron gravely, "have you no shame?"

"Not with these odds!" quipped Lee. "Come on!" he urged. He elbowed in the ribs, "I won't tell Hermione."

Ron looked at him. "You do know what she'll do to you if she finds out about this, don't you? You do remember what she said the last time she caught you at this, don't you?"

Lee smiled. "With astounding clarity, my friend, but I've weighed the risk against the opportunity and I think it's worth it. We could be in the money with this one." Lee looked at him shiftily "Notice, Ron, that I said 'we'."

Ron looked at him sharply and raised his arms as if to ward off an attacker bringing imminent peril. "Ohhh, no! No, no, no, no. No way. No bloody way. I don't want any part of this! Gold isn't any good to a dead man, Lee. I'm quite happy being poor and alive." Ron backed away toward the portrait hole.

Lee looked quite upset. "Ron, mate, you're missing a fantastic business opportunity!" Lee said desperately.

"Yes, but I'm also missing the opportunity of getting my ears nailed to my knees!" retorted Ron, as the portrait swung closed behind him.

"Bloody idiot," he muttered as he set off again in search of Terry and Eddie.

This time, however, luck (if you could call it that) was with him and as he entered the corridor that contained the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, he heard voices. Mandy Brocklehurst and Morag McDougal appeared from around a corner, giggling. Ron eyed them warily, he knew from experience that giggling was not a good sign and when he was sure that they weren't giggling 'aggressively' he called out, "Hey! Mandy! Hi. Is, um, is Eddie or Terry about?"

Mandy eyed him over suspiciously. "What do you want them for?" she asked, bossily.

Ron shrugged noncommittally and said, "Just a quick chat."

She raised one heavily pencilled eyebrow. "About?"

Ron shrugged again and replied in an unnaturally deep voice, "Man-talk."

Mandy and Morag exchanged a withering glance. "Dear lord help us..." muttered Mandy, not quite under her breath.

Morag giggled again, grabbed her friend by the shoulder and began to propel her towards a small alcove. "We'll just see if they're in," she assured him as they disappeared from view.

He found himself unconsciously straining to hear the password to the tower but he couldn't quite make out what it was. He used this short respite to try to

marshal his thoughts and work out what on earth was going on in Hogwarts.

Suddenly, Eddie's head appeared from the alcove. "Yeah, Weasley?" he said rather shortly.

Ron felt relief wash over him. Now he could tell Hermione that he had spoken to Eddie whatever he did or didn't find out. Ron nodded to him and conspiratorially motioned for Eddie to come closer. Eddie obliged but looked very uneasy and tense.

Ron glanced up and down the corridor to check that they were alone. "Eddie, can I ask you a couple of questions?"

Eddie's face twitched. "What about?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Ron was a little surprised and a lot mystified by Eddie's reaction but plunged bravely on with, "You were a victim of the Curse-"

"OH, SHUT UP!" Eddie bellowed, his face turning an alarming shade of scarlet.

Ron jerked back and suddenly found the tip of Eddie's wand trembling an inch beneath his nose. There was nothing he could do without getting hexed first so Ron settled on gawking stupidly at Eddie who's whole body was quivering with barely suppressed rage.

Eddie leaned in towards Ron and whispered harshly, "I'm on to you Weasley! I know that you know! You're very good at playing the fool but Merlin help me if you...." Eddie stopped, seemingly unable to go on, his chest heaving. Ron could tell that he was trying to master himself. "Weasley, if you DARE tell anyone-"

It was then that Ron's rescue was heralded by what he thought at the time, were the two sweetest words in the English language.

"OI! TITWANK!"

Ron and Eddie whipped round to see none other than Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and Dial-A-Hero standing, wand out and pointing fixedly at Eddie's groin. Harry had a grin plastered over his face. "Eddie, be a good boy and bugger off will you?" asked Harry pleasantly.

Eddie looked from Harry to Ron, the colour draining from his face as he considered what spell or hex Harry might cast. He lowered his wand slowly and backed away from Ron. He gave them a final contemptuous look before he slunk into the alcove, whispered the password and disappeared into Ravenclaw Tower.

Ron realised that he had been holding his breath and let it out in a 'whoosh'. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked Harry, wonderingly.

Harry shrugged. "Who cares?" he said, offhandedly. "Come on! Let's go down to the kitchens! Dobby and I have got a surprise for you! Come on! Move! Let's go!" Harry started to push and shove Ron forward, chivvying him on.

"Feeling better, are we?" asked Ron as he was ushered along the corridor.

"Don't know what you're talking about!" Harry said brightly, jostling Ron around a corner.

As Ron stumbled down steps and collided with objects, propelled ever faster by the broadly-grinning Harry, he couldn't help but feel ever-so-slightly terrified of Harry's sudden mood swing. Ron tripped over a first year, landed flat on his face and felt Harry's hand on the back of his robes lifting him roughly and setting him back on his feet. Ron took this brief pause to venture the question that had been nagging at him ever since Harry had mentioned it. "What kind of surprise is it?" he asked with extreme trepidation.

Harry grinned. It was a grin with absolutely no trace of humour in it. "You'll see," he answered, enigmatically.

Ron gulped.

*~*~*~*

The surprise, as it turned out, was rather surprising. Ron certainly had not expected it. It was standing it the middle of one of the house tables on a plinth which bore the legend 'Who's the daddy?' It was an ice sculpture of Harry wearing his Quidditch robes, a smug look and a suitably heroic pose.

Ron, who had mentally prepared himself for the worse, couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. Harry, on the other hand, was looking rather pleased. He climbed up onto the table and slung an arm around it. "Good likeness, eh?"

Ron found that he was experiencing an interesting mix of being dumb-struck and being utterly speechless.

Harry misinterpreted the look on Ron's face. "I knew you'd like it! I think it captures me perfectly. My grace, my dignity, my spirit, my natural presence, charisma and, of course, my good looks...." Harry smiled indulgently. "It's also edible."

Ron jerked himself out of his shocked stupor. He regarded both Harry and the sculpture and asked suspiciously, "What do you mean by edible?"

Harry grinned wolfishly. "I mean that you can lick it. It's like an ice-lolly excepct, and here's the clever part, it's an Ice-Harry!" Harry beamed.

"This is so wrong," commented Ron, bleakly. He sat down on a bench and buried his face in his hands.

Dobby jumped out of the shadows and pattered up to Ron. "No, sir!" piped Dobby, his big green eyes goggling at Ron earnestly. "It isn't, sir! Dobby has been working on this all day, sir! Dobby has made this at Harry Potter's request, sir!" The little house-elf looked up at Harry with a look of fervent adoration.

"Harry!" gasped Ron. "You... You... You asked Dobby to make this?"

"Yep!" Harry grinned. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Ron looked around the kitchen in horror but his visual quest for sanity was not forthcoming with candidates. "Good grief! You know who you sound like?" Ron asked, and then not bothering to wait, supplied the answer, "Lockhart."

"Bah!" dismissed Harry, with a wave of his hand. "Lockhart's got nothing on me. I'm younger, smarter, prettier and more charming than that git!" Harry said in an offhand tone. "Anyway," Harry tapped for temple with his finger, "I'm still in possession and full control of more of my intellectual faculties than him!"

Actually, thought Ron, there's not much in it between them. Aloud he said faintly, "This is madness...."

"NO!" shouted Harry. "You're wrong there, mate," he continued seriously. "This," he gestured to the sculpture, "is not madness - it is art." He raised a finger imperiously. "Madness would be to strip naked, glaze myself in honey, put a pound of sage and herb stuffing up my arse, shove an apple into my mouth and serve myself up to Voldemort on a large platter with a baby spinach, watercress and rocket side salad."

Ron looked at him. "You've given that quite a lot of thought, haven't you?"

Harry shrugged. "Well," he said nonchalantly, "I brood."

Ron drew in a deep breath and stood up. "Well, I've had enough of this madness. I'm leaving. Goodbye."

Harry had turned back to the ice-sculpture. "Okay dokey, karaoke," he said faintly, lost in thought about the sculpture.

"Right then."

Ron left the kitchen with a distrustful backward glance at Harry, Dobby and the sculpture.

When the portrait had closed Harry turned to Dobby. "So, my good elf, have you prepared the potion?"

"Yes! Oh, yes, Harry Potter, sir!" The elf nodded his head vigorously. "Dobby, will do as instructed by Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will paint the Ice-Harry with the potion just shortly, sir!"

Harry grinned evilly and steepled his fingers together at his chest. "Excellent," he said.

*~*~*~*

Ron returned to the entrance hall, unsure of what to do next. Whilst he stood idly pondering his next move Hermione came bustling up to him.

"Ron! Come!" she commanded, grabbing his elbow and hustling him up the marble stairs.

"Do I have a choice?" he asked weakly, trying feebly to free his elbow from her grasp. "Where are we going anyway?"

"To meet Ginny. We've got a few leads. Did you have any joy?"

"Yeah... Well, maybe... Sort of..." he replied hesitantly.

"You're as unshakeably definite as usual, Ron. I've come to expect that off you," sniped Hermione, pulling him around a corner and down a dusty corridor.

She came to an abrupt halt and flung open a classroom door and pushed him inside. He looked around warily whilst Hermione stepped smartly into the room behind him and closed the door quickly. Ginny was sitting on a desk near the front and Luna was standing by a window gazing out upon the grounds.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Our reconnaissance mission has brought up a few interesting developments," hinted Ginny darkly.

"Yeah?" asked Ron, pleasantly surprised.

"Yes," agreed Hermione, fixing Ron with what he supposed to be a meaningful stare.

There was silence. Ron looked at the girls in turn but they didn't say anything. "Sooo," he said, "fancy sharing the news?"

"Yes, but firstly, have you seen Harry?" asked Hermione.

Ron frowned (he secretly damned his brow for revealing his feelings) and threw up his hands in a hopeless gesture. He sighed and sat down on the edge of a desk and, in a slightly depressed tone, said, "Yes, I have. He's down in the kitchens making ice-sculptures with Dobby."

Again, there was silence in the room. Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "Well, that's a new one," she muttered.

"Yup," confirmed Ron wearily.

Ginny pushed herself off the desk she was sitting upon. "Well, I suppose it's just a phase," she said dismissively. She took a deep breath and said, "The important thing is, as Hermione has already said, that we have had a breakthrough."

Ron looked at Ginny. "Yes, I know she said that. I was, in fact, here when she said it." He replied sarcastically.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond when Hermione raised her hand and cut in with, "Ginny, Ron is currently awaiting enlightenment on this information as he is wallowing in the smoky darkness of ignorance. He is also running a terrible danger of a knee in the testicles but seems strangely unaware of his situation." She smiled meaningfully at him.

The tension in the room was palpable. Ron's eyes darted from Ginny to Hermione, whilst his brain calculated how long it would take them to reach him and how long it would take him to reach, open and go through the door. I might make it, he thought desperately, unless they use their wands.

There was a small sigh from by the window. Luna had turned around and was watching them with an oddly wistful look in her eyes. "What have you found out, Hermione?" she asked in a calm voice.

This seemed to break the tension. The bloodlust drained from Hermione and Ginny eyes and they looked away from Ron. "Oh, something very interesting, Luna," said Hermione.

Ginny smirked and added leeringly, "Yes, Luna. Verrrrry interesting."

Luna looked at them interestedly. "What is it?"

Ron did not like the glint in Ginny's eyes.

"Well," said Hermione, "we have found out some rather interesting information regarding Terry and Eddie."

"And?" prompted Ron, hoping that his earlier encounter with Eddie might actually have some relevance to this conversation.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a significant look. Hermione rubbed her hands together briskly and started to walk up and down between the rows of desks. "Well," she said, "whilst I was researching in the library, I, erm, over-heard and witnessed something I shouldn't have. After I had sent you two off I realised that perhaps the Defence Against the Dark Arts section may be of some help as this is undoubtedly a malicious creature that we are dealing with. There I was, minding my own business, when I heard muffled agitated voices. As a prefect, I naturally felt obliged to investigate. What I found was really rather significant." She stopped walking and declared triumphantly, "Eddie and Terry were not victims of the Curse!"

"No?" said Ron and Luna together.

"No," confirmed Ginny, waggling her eyebrows (something which greatly disturbed Ron).

"No," repeated Hermione, smugly.

Ron frowned. "Then how come Eddie and Terry ended up locked in the boys toilet with a cucumber stuck up Terry's arse?"

Luna gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. Hermione and Ginny turned to Ron and watched him, waiting for the knut to drop. They had to wait a few seconds as the knut obviously had quite some way to fall.

Ron's eyes widened. "No! No way! No bloody way!"

Ginny grinned wickedly and nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes way! Yes bloody way!" she cried excitedly.

Ron stared at Hermione. "How... How do you know this?" he asked her.

Hermione smiled grimly. "The voices I overheard in the library were Eddie's and Terry's. They were arguing about whether or not their housemates would find out that they weren't victims of the curse. When Filch discovered their romantic rendezvous in the toilets they couldn't bloody well tell him the truth, so they blamed it on the Curse! They then had to answer all these questions from the teachers and students on what had happened. They had to concoct a cover story! Everything they told the Ravenclaw investigation was a lie! Therefore, the Ravenclaw investigation is operating on false evidence! No wonder they're getting nowhere! After I had discovered this, Luna surprised me and Terry and Eddie discovered us."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," apologised Luna sincerely. "I didn't mean to interrupt you peeping in on a couples privacy," she added dreamily.

"I wasn't peeping!" cried Hermione indignantly. " I was on reconnaissance. The fact that they started groping each other was purely circumstantial and I was about to move away to give them privacy."

"No, you weren't," Luna replied mildly. "You were standing there gawking at them."

Hermione spluttered, bristled and puffed.

"It's alright, Hermione," said Ginny gently. "We're all a little curious about gay sex. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Ginny!" yelped Ron, who was shocked and disgusted.

"Well, it's true!" retorted Ginny. "Lot's of men have fantasies about women being together so why can't women have the same fantasies about men?"

Ron went bright red and spluttered, "Well, I'll tell you... It's because... It's not... It's quite... It's just... It's that...." He trailed off as all the girls were looking at him and he found he couldn't arrange an adequate or even coherent sentence.

"Quite right, Ginny," agreed Luna. "It's sexist."

"Exactly!" agreed Hermione, grateful that her friends did not frown upon her secret. She was very pleased that Ginny and Luna felt that way as, after all, it was her natural curiosity and enquiring mind that lead her to wonder about same sex relationships - nothing else. She hoped.

Ron shook his head vigorously, perhaps trying to inflict enough brain damage to erase the last minute of disturbing conversation from his head. Finally, he sighed, "Well, at least that explains why Eddie over-reacted to my earlier attempted questioning."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.

Ron shook his head ruefully. "Eddie went absolutely nuts at me. He said that 'he knew that I knew'. Only back then I didn't. I take it he and Terry saw you spying on him -"

"I wasn't spying!" interjected Hermione, angrily.

Ron nodded in a placatory gesture. "Alright, alright. Observing them for reasons of research relating purely to our investigation." He watched Hermione nod stiffly. "He probably thought that you told me about him and Terry."

"Yes, he probably did," she conceded. "After Luna and I had been discovered, we confronted Eddie whilst Terry ran off in tears."

Luna nodded in agreement and added, "We then told him that we wouldn't tell anyone about their lies if they could get us copies of everything the Ravenclaws have gathered for evidence so far."

"Can't you get that stuff, Luna?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"Oh, no" she replied airily. "I've offered to help but they don't let me go near the evidence. They said that they're trying to take the nonsense out - not put it back in." She frowned and said reflectively, "I wonder what they meant by that? I had only pointed out that they shouldn't leave things hanging up in case the Spurkles try to tamper with them. Spurkles are renowned for tampering with evidence, just ask the Aurors-"

"Yes," cut in Ginny. "Thanks for that Luna, but their loss is our gain. Isn't that right Ron, Hermione?"

Ron and Hermione shuffled their feet. "Oh, yes, yes," they both replied rather weakly.

"So what do you think could be behind it, Luna? Do you know what the Ravenclaws suspect?" asked Ron.

The dreamy double-agent looked at Ron with her silvery eyes. "I really don't know. I can't think of anyone or anything that'd do that sort of thing to people. I mean, it's not very nice, is it?" She frowned as if she were troubled. "I suppose that it could be -"

At that moment the classroom door burst open and Harry bounced in with a weary looking Neville behind him. Neville looked at them all and smiled in a slightly embarrassed way. "He jumped me in the entrance hall and started to sing about a wizard and a yellow brick road," said Neville sheepishly. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "When I come to think about it," he continued, "it was one of the most surreal moments of my life."

Harry beamed at them all. "How now, brown cow?" he greeted them. Then in the silence that followed, he began to sing the theme tune to 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'.

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and lead him away from the commotion. "Look," she said seriously, "Luna doesn't know about the brownie. She doesn't know what you saw and I want it to stay that way. All she knows is that we're looking into the Curse to try to find the culprit and that Eddie and Terry's attack was faked. I don't want her to know in case she says anything to the other Ravenclaws. I want to be the one who figures this thing out!"

Ron raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"I meant we!" Hermione amended quickly. "I meant we. I meant that I want US to figure this thing out."

"So, you don't trust her then?" said Ron, politely.

"Of course I trust her!" snapped Hermione. "I'm just afraid that she might let something slip out front of them."

"They don't listen to anything she says anyway," Ron said glumly, and he started to recount his conversation with Orla, deliberately omitting out the flirtation.

"Hurmph! The H.G. factor indeed!" she snorted superciliously. "I've never heard of such complete and utter rubbish!"

Ron turned to watch Harry, who was now singing a song about 'what makes the world go round' much to Neville's disbelief, Luna's delight and Ginny's incredulity. However, Neville and Ginny looked as though they were enjoying it and Ron had to admit that Harry did have quite a pleasant voice.

"Have we got any more information?" Ron asked Hermione, whilst they all give Harry a round of applause for his efforts.

"Well, Ginny spoke to the house-elves, annoyed the teachers in the staff room, questioned the majority of the portraits on the first, second and third floors and has come up with precisely bugger all. She says that the ghosts don't know anything and that Peeves is still hiding behind the hem of Dumbledores robes. Everybody already knows that the Hufflepuffs don't have a bloody clue what's going on at the best of times and Ginny said that she'd rather stick a fork in her eye than talk to the Slytherins. Which is fair comment, really."

Ron nodded his agreement. "But nothing new about the creature?"

"No," Hermione replied with a sigh. "But we have made considerable progress."

"We have?" asked Ron somewhat bleakly.

"Yes!" snapped Hermione. "However, I think it's time we visited Hagrid. He may know more. This is obviously a dangerous brownie and we know how Hagrid feels about dangerous creatures.

"Yes, unfortunately we do," confirmed Ron gloomily.

They spent the next few moments in a reflective mood, watching Harry inviting them all to 'become part of the family' through song.

"Harry certainly knows his muggle musicals," Hermione remarked dryly. She thought hard for a moment or two before adding, "That's quite unusual for a boy."

Ron didn't exactly know what she meant or implied by this, and quite frankly, after the day he'd had, didn't much care.

"So, what shall I say at my big interview tomorrow?" he asked to change to subject and derail Hermione's train of thought.

"I shall brief you after dinner which, if we don't leave now, we will be late for," said Hermione bossily.

Hermione strode over to the rest of the group. "RIGHT!" she hollered. "Harry, shut up and everyone listen!" She paused and waited until she had everyone's attention. "Thank you," she added graciously before becoming business like once more. "It's dinner time, so move it or lose it!" She pointed her wand at Harry threateningly. "And I don't mean that figuratively," she growled menacingly.

The others exchanged glances and scurried out of the room.

*~*~*~*

Ron arrived at the Great Hall harbouring an ever-increasing feeling of trepidation. Luna broke off from the group and went to sit with the rest of her house whilst Ron and the others took seats at the end of the Gryffindor table. Ron was dreading the appearance of Harry's ice-sculpture. Harry, on the other hand, was positively chipper as he helped himself to every dish within reach.

Ron spent to whole of dinner pushing his food around his plate and looking fearfully at Harry, who was recounting his entire repertoire of 'Knock Knock' jokes.

Ron was relived, however, when the desserts materialised on the house tables and there was no sign of the ice-sculpture. The relief was so great that both he and his bladder felt weak. Needless to say, Harry was not impressed by the complete lack of ice-sculptures. He made an odd hissing noise and leapt up onto the table, landing deftly in a dish of treacle pudding. He pointed his finger at Dumbledore and got halfway through screaming, "IT'S NOT BLOODY FAIR!" before he was stunned, grabbed by a house-elf and disappeared with a 'pop'.

Ron shrugged at the students staring at him and helped himself to a gigantic slice of chocolate cake. He ate it with unashamed gusto.

Hermione swapped seats with Neville. "Right. Tomorrow's interview. I want you to deny all knowledge of the creature. You saw nothing suspicious and you have seen nothing suspicious. You heard nothing suspicious and you haven't heard anything suspicious since."

"Is that over and above the ectoplasm?" asked Ron.

"Of course," replied Hermione.

"Right."

There was a pause in which Ron watched Hermione.

"Is that all I have to do?" he asked.

"Yes."

Ron brightened. This appeared as though it would be easier than he had thought. "Ok. Great. Deny everything except ectoplasm. Excellent."

"I will accompany you," Hermione announced.

"Why?"

Hermione looked at him witheringly. "To help get you out of the mess you'll make of it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hermione," said Ron sarcastically.

Hermione smiled darkly. "Don't mention it."

*~*~*~*

Tomorrow came, with no special effects, the following day. Ron felt refreshed after a good nights sleep and he looked almost fondly over at Harry who was still sleeping off the effects of the stunning spell. He got dressed and slouched down to the Great Hall, sitting down beside Hermione who was, as usual, working industrially. He gave her a half-yawn half groan greeting and grabbed some toast. He was polishing off his sixth slice when Lisa and Stewart came over to begin their interview. Ron could help but notice their nervous glances at Hermione.

All in all, the interview went quite well. Ron, as instructed, maintained both his general and specific ignorance of the recent events. He was quite surprised by how readily the Ravenclaws swallowed his story, by the fact that they didn't comment or look surprised by his ignorance. Yes, he had heard of the so-called 'Curse'. No, discounting the ectoplasm he had seen nothing out of the ordinary. No, he hadn't been taking any mind-altering substances recently. And, no, he did not know where to get any or have any extra, thank you very much.

When the Ravenclaws left, Ron turned to Hermione, "So, how did I do?" he asked.

"You performed adequately," Hermione said briskly, "I was surprised, actually."

"What do you mean by that?" Ron demanded indignantly, as he watched Hermione gather up her books, quill and bag.

She said nothing but gave Ron a small, tight smile before she left for her lessons.

Ron's indignance swiftly turned into complete and utter confusion (which had been his natural state of mind recently). He watched Hermione walk out of the Great Hall and then looked around him, as if the solutions to his problems were lurking in the shadows, mocking him. He sighed, grabbed another piece of toast and began to munch on it thoughtfully.